Paul Kelso is the Telegraph's Chief Sports Reporter.

Election of the 2016 Olympic Host City: Live!

Follow all the latest news from Copenhagen as the final bidding takes place for the right to host the 2016 Olympics. The winner will be announced around 6pm. Hit 'refresh' for updates.

7pm Time to write newspaper pieces now so that's it from Copenhagen. Rio wins, US and Obama humiliated, IOC vindicated. Quite a day.

6.55pm They've all gone predictably bonkers in the hall, Pele is crying, so's everyone else. Good decision by the membership who for once practiced what they preached. The Games go to a developing nation for the first time since Mexico in 1968, and Brazil is going to host the two biggest events in world sport in the space of two years.

6.51PM Bach has put the envelope on a dish, it's been carried to Rogge. And the winner is RIO!!!!!!!!!!!!

6.50pm The name of the winning city is in an envelope that Thomas Bach, a top IOC-bod who could be the next president, has on his knee in the front row. Now Rogge is on stage, he’ll doubtless make a speech after the Olympic Anthem, a tune whose chief virtue is that it is only played every four years, has been played. Yup, he’s speaking. Envelope time is not far off.

6.45pm The results show is running in the auditorium. It’s being carried live on Danish TV. Jonathan Edwards (our one) is presenting it with Lillian Gjerulf Kretz, Denmark’s answer to Fiona Bruce. She’s married to “a well-known Danish TV anchor”, it says here.

The show is a load of old Olympic puff including films on the four candidate cities. They just played the Chicago movie which inevitably features ‘Sweet Home Chicago’. “Baby don’t you want to go?” Well, no actually.

The US delegation is having to sit through this and they are still in shock. Bid leader Pat Ryan just told us he thought they were a victim of a first-round accident, and that they clearly didn’t have a large core support. You don’t say? They’re rejecting the idea that the broken relationship with the IOC is behind this, but clearly it played a part.

5.40pm Sorry to bang on about this but that is a remarkable result, and the impact is going to be felt well beyond the Olympic world. Obama gets off Air Force One in Washington in about three or four hours and will face an inquest in full flow when he diesmbarks. It damages America's reputation in the Olympic world, but it has left a hefty dent in Obama's as well.

There could be one more shock to come too. Rio and Madrid have scrapped over the same votes for two years, and it's clear that Juan Antonio Samaranch Snr still packs a punch. If he's delivered a second Olympics to Spain it will be remarkable.

5.30pm OK, they're voting again but we won't get the result for an hour. In the mean time we can absorb the scale of the snub that the IOC hasjust delivered to the US. People stunned here.

Right, the vote is closed. The host for the 2016 Games has been chosen, but only the scrutineers on the stage know the result. Say what you like about the IOC but they know how to do drama.

5.28pm Tokyo is out, one round later than thought so its Rio v Madrid. Now it gets really, really interesting.

5.25pm Scrutineers are passing result to top member Thomas Bach, who's writing down the result and taking it to Rogge. Here we go… 95 votes, valid ballots 94, Chicago is out. Wow. CHICAGO IS OUT!!!!!!!

5.21pm They've voted!

5.20pm Right, they’ve done the test vote, during which time Rio has become the odds-on favourite on Betfair, with Chicago out to 6-4. In the hall they have drawing lots to decide which number on the electronic keypad will represent which city. Tokyo is number eight, Madrid is number nine, Rio is seven, Chicago four. That should confuse some of them.

Urs Lacotte, director general of the IOC has talked them through the process. They vote in rounds until a city has a majority, with the lowest-scoring city dropping out each time until we have a majority winner. The numbers of votes cast will not be revealed until the final result is revealed. Voting starts shortly.

4.25pm The presentations have moved the odds and the momentum is with Rio. Chicago is drifting from odds-on to evens, Rio is in to 6-4. Starting to get a sneaky feeling for Brazil, though I would like to make it clear that is not a prediction.

4.10pm Okey-dokey. We know have a load of procedural stuff. Nawal Al Moutawakel, former 400m hurdles gold medallist and chair of the evaluation commission that visited all the cities, is on her feet now delivering a report. She thanks all four cities from the bottom of her heart, and tells the members that all four are capable of staging the Games.

Once she’s the members take a break and all non-IOC members in the hall have to leave. At 4.50pm the members and a handful of executives return for the vote. They will do a test-run that takes about 20 minutes and is designed to ensure that the members know how to use the electronic keypads. The vote proper starts at 5.10pm.

There are 106 IOC members but only 104 are in Copenhagen, and 95 are eligible to vote in the first round. Seven are ineligible because they are affiliated to the bidding cities but they can vote once their city is out. Kun Hee Lee is suspended so he can’t vote, and Rogge doesn’t vote on principle. The two members that didn’t make it are Alpha Ibrahim Diallo are Saiko Koivu.

Members will vote until one city has a majority. The lowest-ranked city in each round is dropped and the members vote again. When they have a winner everyone disappears for about an hour, giving the bid teams still involved time to worry themselves into a state of nervous collapse, and the rest of us some time to speculate wildly.

We all come back for an announcement ceremony starting at 6.30pm. The envelope is likely to be opened at 7pm local time, 6pm BST.

4.05pm Okey-dokey. We know have a load of procedural stuff. Nawal Al Moutawakel, former 400m hurdles gold medallist and chair of the evaluation commission that visited all the cities, is on her feet now delivering a report. She thanks all four cities from the bottom of her heart, and tells the members that all four are capable of staging the Games.

Once she’s done in about half an hour the members take a break and all non-IOC members in the hall have to leave. At 4.50pm the members and a handful of executives return for the vote. They will do a test-run that takes about 20 minutes and is designed to ensure that the members know how to use the electronic keypads. The vote proper starts at 5.10pm.

Members will vote until one city has a majority. The lowest-ranked city in each round is dropped and the members vote again. When they have a winner everyone disappears for about an hour, giving the bid teams still involved time to worry themselves into a state of nervous collapse, and the rest of us some time to speculate wildly.

We all come back for an announcement ceremony starting at 6.30pm. The envelope is likely to be opened at 7pm local time, 6pm BST.

3.55pm So the IOC have now heard from all four cities. Rio and Tokyo will be happy, Chicago grateful for the sainted Michelle and Madrid content. The questions that dominated before they all started remain. Has the First Family done enough to close the deal for Chicago? Has Rio’s conquered doubts about its ability to deliver on an obviously compelling argument for going to South America? Has Madrid given itself a chance by becoming everybody’s second choice? And has Tokyo done enough to spring a first-round surprise?

If I knew the answer to any of them I wouldn't still be sitting here.

3.40pm After the athletes come the heavyweights. Juan Antonio Samaranch Snr takes to the lectern and makes a deathbed appeal: “Colleagues, I know that I am near the end of my time, I am 89 years old, so may I ask you to consider granting my country the honour and duty to organise the Games in 2016.”

King Juan Carlos is next. Rather than threatening to die on them, he promises Madrid will change the world. “I am convinced that the world will be a better place after the Madrid 2016 Olympic Games.” Give. Me. Strength.

There’s time for one more film, much better this time, an inspirational job with a bit of Nadal and lots of wistful Madridistas accompanied by some nice violins. And that’s it.

3.35pm Madrid wins worst video of the day. We see a letter start a journey in Madrid and then get passed hand-to-hand through Europe – Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg (why Hamburg?) and then Copenhagen where it ends up here. As video ends a bid member brings an envelope to the stage and inside is… a letter from the people of Madrid. That’s a miss.

Raul arrives next along with Teresa Perales, a Paralympic swimmer, and Monica Figal, Coghan’s daughter. Raul says that sport ahs taught him that there is no room for prejudice in the world, Perales that it has taught her anything is possible, and Figal delivers a remarkably composed little essay, in English, on the virtues of a healthy lifestyle. That’s better.

3.20pm Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero is next up and he starts with a “salutation to the people of Indonesia” following the tsunami. Interesting. It’s either a statesmanlike acknowledgement of grave events, or a cheap attempt to beg votes of the back of a national disaster.

After this it soon becomes clear that, even allowing for a translator, he’s no Obama. “Our candidacy is… reliable,” he thunders. “We can improve… and we know how to listen”

Madrid is clearly pitching to be the no-risk option, hoping to inherit the 2016 Games after Rio and Chicago kick each other to death. Stranger things have happened.

3.05pm IOC member Juan Antonio Samaranch Jnr opens the Madrid presentation but his dad JAS Snr, sitting behind him on the stage, is the power behind the campaign. JAS Snr ran the IOC like a private fiefdom during his time as President, presiding over the growth in the status and profile of the Games as well as the descent into graft and corruption. He can still move votes but we won’t know how many until the vote later. Raul is also up there.

The presentation is breezy so far, a long-ish video leaning heavily on the charms of Mecerdes Coghan, bid CEO (the only woman to lead any of the bids here), who talks us through the venues and delights of the city. Looks very pleasant, though short on beaches.

2.45pm Madrid take to the stage for the final presentation, and it’s all up for grabs. The lunchtime lobby chatter from assorted IOC members and observers in the hall goes something like this.

Rio delivered exactly what the members were expecting and made a powerful case. Their pitch was less emotional than it might have been, strong on the economic fundamentals, and the message hit home: vote for Rio and you vote for change.

Chicago was the big disappointment, Michelle Obama aside. The presentation was flat, they failed to make a powerful case for what a Chicago Games would mean, and the US Olympic Committee didn’t go far enough to satisfy concerns over their over-mighty status. They must now hope that the Obama effect has not worn off by the time they vote.

Tokyo was the surprise package, hitting home with the sheer effort and enthusiasm of their presentation. If they have done enough to collect a respectable first-round showing they might tip one of the big three out in the first round. We’ll soon know.

1.10pm The Q&A is quite tough. They get asked about accommodation – there’s a plan to put people on cruise ships – doping, the sports legacy and, most sensitively, whether the 2014 World Cup will be a distraction. The IOC members are asking proper questions for the first time. Usually the inquisition is very gentle, but they are tweaking the candidate’s tails.

That’s Rio done though and the choice as the IOC head off for lunch is a tricky one. Whichever way they jump they will upset at least one President. Madrid are up after lunch at 2.45pm (1.45pm BST). If they win the IOC will have two unhappy heads-of-state on its case.

1pm The video finally arrived as Lula departed. It’s good but not show-stopping, a hybrid of the tourism and inspirational genres. We see athletes from around the world in Rio, Arabs on the Sugar Loaf cable-car, Africans on the beach, Indians in a street market. They all end up converging on Copocabana beach and form the Olympic rings. Clever, but not a tear-jerker.

12.50pm One more speech before the film, and it’s the most important one. President Lula, steel-worker who became President, lays it on the line with a directness Olympic diplomats always avoid.

“It is with great pride that I represent at this decisive moment the hopes and reams of more than 190 million Brazilians, many of whom are following this event on big screens on Copacaban beach, at home in Sao Paoulo, or on small TV sets on banks of the Amazon. They are all united behind our bid.

“I honestly believe that it is Brazil’s time. Among the top 10 economies in the world Brazil is the only country that has not hosted the Olympics. Among the nations bidding today we are the only one that has never had this honour.

“For the others it will be just one more Games. For us it will be an unparalleled opportunity that will boost the self-esteem of Brazil, to consolidate past achievements and inspire new ones.

“Rio is ready, give us this chance and you will not regret it.”

It’s stirring stuff, the equal of Obama’s set-piece earlier, and the IOC has a tricky choice on its hands.

12.40pm Still no video, but a woman has finally been allowed to speak. Sabel Swan, Olympic sailor and glamorous with it, introduces some athletes. There’s Pele. Still stopping traffic 51 years after his first World Cup.

12.35pm No video yet. Now they are running through the venue plan and other infrastructure issues like hotel rooms and transport. This all very technical and they probably think they have to do it to reassure the members that they can actually deliver. But it’s banging on a bit. They really need a video.

12.30pm Now they’re dealing with the negatives. Governor Sergio Cabral reassures us about security. During the Pan-American Games there were no incidents he says, and a police woman in the audience stands up and takes a bow.

Next up the governor of the central bank Henrique Meirelles, Brazil’s answer to Mervyn King. He reels off a list of favourable economic data – 8% growth, 240,000 jobs created in July, unemployment falling, and massive off-shore oil reserves. They mention the oil-reserves a lot. “Our economic strength can give you confidence to bring the Games to Rio in 2016,” he says.

Mayor Eduardo Paes next saying that the World Cup in 2014 will not be a distraction. “We aim to use it as a springboard to create the greatest ever Games in 2016.”

They need to say all this stuff, but this is a lot of Men In Suits. I feel an inspirational video coming on.

12.20pm Bid leader Carlos Nuzman next with the other half of the argument: “Our economy is strong and dynamic, and we are ready to host the Games. Thanks to the leadership of President Lula Brazil is more confident.”

They use a picture of Lula with Obama to illustrate this, and then show a map of former host cities that makes their point. There is a blank in Africa and South America.

“By 2016 there will have been 30 Olympic Games in Europe and 12 in North America, eight of them in the United States.” Sub-text not too difficult to spot here.

Then we’re into the tourism video, and it looks absolutely fantastic. Media vote immediately swings behind Rio. What’s not too like? One of these videos is directed by Fernando Meirelles, who did City of God.

12.10am Joao Havelange, former Fifa president, kicks off the presentation and cuts straight to the chase: “I have a dream of history being made in 2016 when I hope I will celebrate the first Olympic Games in South America, Games that will help the movement grow and embark on a new journey.” He adds that he will be 100 in 2016, and we’re all invited to the party. He looks entirely convinced he will be there too.

12.05pm Comfort break is over and the members take their seats for Rio’s presentation. This is a big moment in the day. Rio’s pitch promises to be the most distinctive as they try to persuade the IOC to send the Games to South America for the first time. It will be an emotional appeal backed up by the argument that Brazil’s growing economy makes it a safe choice. President Lula, a charismatic popular leader, will try and match the Obamas.

11.20am That’s Tokyo done after a few questions about legacy, the athletes’ village and doping. Arne Ljungqvist, head of the IOC medical commission and the top anti-doping guy, is asking every city if their police will have powers to tackle drugs suppliers and hand the evidence to the IOC. They all have to say yes. Rio next, starting 12.05pm.

11.10am Another video, lots of children running this time. And back-flipping, swimming, cycling, playing basketball, football, boxing, you get the picture.

These campaign tend to fall into two categories. There’s the posh tourism films, full of shots of skyscrapers at dawn, dewy grass in city parks and bustling restaurants/markets/shops, or these inspirational jobs. The latter depend largely on the soundtrack. Get the music right and they might drag a vote-winning tear from the membership.

11am Hats off to Tokyo for coming up with a distinctive campaign. Take the Obama’s out of Chicago’s presentation and there was nothing unique or exciting, a flat-pack bid. This is different.

One of the criticisms of previous Japanese campaigns is that they lack passion. They are trying to put that right with some shouting and leaping about from speakers, and now we’re into a video with lots of whizzy technology. There’s a runner trotting through the city – that’s borrowed from London 2012 too – and now she’s on the blocks in an Olympic final. Get it?

10.50am Tokyo up and running with their, um, idiosyncratic bid. The pitch is that with environmental catastrophe looming Tokyo will use the Olympics to accelerate planet-saving environmental technology. Their governor said the other day that the 2016 Games could be the last what with rising sea-levels, so the stakes are high. He also spoke about spaceships, marking him out as the loopiest political leader in town.

The presentation starts with a 15 year-old gymnast (blame London for the epidemic of children in Olympic bids) who sets out the grave situation accompanied by pictures of a dried-up river bed, and some worried looking kids.

Then we’re into speeches from the Prime Minister and bid leaders, all of them in English or French. It is a massive and hugely impressive effort, and an acknowledgement that bids heard only in translation struggle.

10am That answer was better than anything in Obama's speech and went down beautifully. If Chicago win then Sayed Shahid Ali, who asked the question, may be the man who won it for them.

The Obama’s aside Chicago played it safe, a little dull – lots of Men In Suits, the curse of Olympic preseentations – tried to appear humble and tackle their biggest weaknesses head on.

One of the biggest challenges they face is anti-American feeling, much of it stemming from the role of the overmighty US Olympic Committee, which hoovers up a disproportionate amount of the IOC’s commercial income thanks to a deal struck in 1984.

So the new president of the USOC Larry Probst promised that he will “make a personal effort to build a partnership between us built on a renewed foundation of friendship and trust”. That translates as “We’re really, really sorry for being schmucks, please, please, please give us the Games and we won’t do it again.”

There’s one fairly obvious dig at Rio, disguised as an appeal to the IOC members’ wives. Pat Ryan, president of the bid, says the shopping in Chicago rivals Paris, London and New York, “a safe, short walk from your hotel.” This translates as “Rio! You’ll get shot!”

There are a few sweeteners in here too. USOC pledges to run an ambassador program around the world and an offer of time in Chicago universities for coaches.

There was also a brief appearance from Google CEO Eric Schmidt during a section about funding, a fairly clear suggestion that Chicago will bring his firm into the IOC sponsorship fold. The significance will not have been lost.

9.50am Wow. If his first appeal didn’t swing the IOC then Obama’s second intervention may just have done it. Sayed Shahid Ali, the IOC member from Pakistan, lobbed a hand-grenade at Chicago, asking what they would do to prevent foreigners visiting the Games having a “harrowing” experience at immigration.

The President hits it out of the park with this: “One of the legacies I want to see coming out of Chicago from 2016 is a reminder that America at its best is open to the world and we are putting the full force of the White house and the State Department into making sure that not only is this a successful Games but that visitors from all around the world feel welcome and will come away with a sense of the incredible diversity of the American people.

“I was very impressed with the part of out presentation matching up not families to the athletes that will be there because we’ve got everyone. This could be a meeting in Chicago, because we look like the world. And over the last several years sometimes that fundamental truth about the United States has been lost. On of the legacies of this Olympic Games would be the restoration of that understanding of what the United States is all about and a recognition of how we are linked to the world.”

It’s met with applause from the members. Follow that, Tokyo.

9.30am A show-stopping double-header from the Obamas to conclude Chicago’s presentation, but Michelle wipes the floor with her old man. She spoke about her father’s battle with MS growing up on the South Side of the city.

"I'm not asking just as the First Lady of the United States, and not just as a Chicagean, and not just as a mother… I'm asking as a daughter. You see, my dad would have been so proud". Not a dry eye in the house.

The Pres meanwhile was a little familiar. The themes are the usual – hope, possibility, change – but the underlying message is a pretty powerful one if you happen to be running the Olympic movement. He’s offering to link the Olympic ideals to his project.

“We stand at a moment in history when the fate of each nation is linked to the fate of all nations, a time of common challenges which require common effort. The United States has a responsibility to help in that effort and forge new partnerships with the nations and peoples of the world,” he said.

“No-one expects the Olympic Games to solve all our collective challenges but what we do believe is that, in a world where we have all too often witnessed the darker aspects of our humanity, peaceful sporting competition represents what is best about our humanity – if only for a few weeks – and helps us understand each other a little bit better. “I urge you to choose Chicago, to choose America . . . and, if you do, if we walk this path together, I promise you the city of Chicago and the United States of America will make the world proud.”

That’s the deal on the table. Will it be enough?

9am OK, we’re off. The Obamas have entered the building. Just think, a mere 500 yards from where I am sitting, with only 200 or so heavily armed police and security guards standing between us. The atmosphere is suitably reverent as He takes his seat with a smile. Looks pretty well groomed considering he’s just got off the red eye.

Rogge offers the Obama’s a special welcome – no surprise given the boost their presence gives the movement – before Chicago’s presentation kicks off with the first cliché of the day, a tourism video to the tune of ‘Sweet Home Chicago’.

8.40am This just in from the White House. “The President and the First Lady will deliver remarks at the Chicago 2016 presentation to members of the International Olympic Committee at the Bella Center. The President, along with other Chicago 2016 panel members, participates in a question and answer session with IOC members. Later, the President and the First Lady will attend an informal reception with IOC members.

So, they both speak to the members and then perhaps crucially there’s a chance for the members to meet the President in the 25-minute gap between presentations. One of the criticisms from Chicago’s rivals has been that Obama hasn’t met the electorate. This is his chance.

8am (Copenhagen time) Right then, Barack Obama landed ten minutes ago so we can get underway. While he hops onto Shuttle Bus One and heads for the Bella Centre, a rather un-lovely conference centre on the outskirts of Copenhagen, a quick word on what’s happening today.

According to a press release still warm from the IOC photocopier, what we are about to witness is the Election of the Host City for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in 2016.

Each of the four candidates – that’s Chicago, Tokyo, Rio and Madrid – will make a 45-minute presentation to the 100-odd IOC members gathered in the conference hall followed by a brief Q&A.

Chicago and Obama are first up at 8.45am (7.45am BST), followed by Tokyo at 10.25am. Rio are at 12.05pm, and Madrid last off at 2.45pm hoping that the members are still awake after lunch.

The actual voting starts at 5.10pm and will stop when one city has an absolute majority. The members vote anonymously using electronic key-pads, which means someone is almost certain to push the wrong button. The lowest-scoring city is ejected in each round until there is a winner, and IOC president Jacques Rogge will announce who it is (after grappling with an oversized envelope) around 6.30pm.

So who’s it going to be? Well, Chicago obviously. Unless Rio has done enough. Or Madrid, the under-estimated dark horses. Just about the only thing that anyone can agree on is that Tokyo are going to bite the dust in the first round. We’ll soon know. Well, soon-ish.